Means for feeding sheets of paper, envelopes, and the like to typewriting machines



Aug. 2Q, 1935. ARMANNl fi h MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS OF PAPER, ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE TO TYPEWRITING' MACHINES Filed May 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

17 lb 10 r K1 1m H n TI 1 fiTTOR/VEY Aug. 20, 1935. 1.. ARMANNI 2,611,991

-' MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS OF PAPER, ENVELOPES AND THE LIKE TO TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed May 6, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 //v yavrm Patented Aug. 20,1935 v MEANS FOR. FEEDING SHEETS OF PAPER, .ENYVELOPES, AND THE LIKE TO TYPE- WRITING MACHINES I Luigi Armanni, C'lerkenvvell; London, England, assignor to Charles Samuel MauriceGabrieL London, England Application May6,.1933, Serial Nb. 669E257 In Great Britain May '10, 1932 c Claims. (Crier-430) according to "this invention tofactuate the ma- This invention relates to magazine devices adapted to be applied to typewriting and similar machinesfor holding asupply of sheets of paper,

sets of sheets, envelopes, cards or thelike hereinafter called sheets and for delivering them automatically one at a time to the platen of the writ; ing machine: in order to obviate the need for inserting said sheets individually by hand. .More particularly stated, the invention is concerned with such devices wherein the sheets rest by f their iower edges on a support plate and are held between a roller or an endless band running over rollers adapted to be rotated with the machine platen and a follower member which advances gradually towards the endless band as the sheets become exhausted. 1

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved and compact construction of sheet feeding device which shall be positive in action and readily adaptable for operation with sheets of any particular thickness. 5 It is also an object-of this invention to provide a device of "the kind indicated in the form of an attachment adapted witha of effort to be mounted and fixed upon the machine with which it is to be used or removed therefrom when not required. A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for the actuation of a sheet feeding device of the nature specified.

With these and otherfobjects in view, it is proposed-according to this invention to utilize in-the magazine a supportplate' for the sheets, which is adjustable towards and from theendless feed hand. For effecting adjustment, it is preferred to employ a rock shaft bearing at spaced intervals two ormore eccentrics which operatively engage abutments projecting from the support plate. To enable the'device as a whole to be detachably engaged with the paper carriage of the writing machine, the frame structure of the'sheet feeding device is preferably formed with coupling members adapted for sliding. connection with complementary parts on -the paper carriage and pivoted latch. members adapted to lock saidconnections are'also formed with cam faces which when thellatch members are unlocked operate to force apart the coupled members. One of the rollers with which the feed band is engaged is arranged to be positivel-y coupled to; the rotary platen of the writing'machine through the intermediary of a single idle wheelmeshingwith other gear wheels on theaplaten spindle and on the roller driving the feed band, andpto facilitate and expedite the operation'ofthei machine as a-whole, it is proposed chine platen and the sheetfeeding attachment from a crank or hand lever which operates through a. pawl and'ratchet and movement multiplying gear in turning'the 'feed'andj'p'laten rollers through a relatively large arc fjor each stroke of the lever. p Another feature of this invention is the'provision of means permitting adjustment of the tension in thejendlessffeed band as and when required by moving apart more or lessithe axes of' the vrollers with which it is 'engaged. .Ihe inventionmay also provide means operating to hold against unintendcd'movement the support plate on which rest the supply of sheets to be'de' livered to the writing machine. A furthrieature of improvement aifordedbythis'invention is the, provision of a deflectoriplate extending .between the upper part or the platen roller and iii theupwardly moving run of the endless band,isaid plateserving to prevent the upper edges of 'the sheets after passing around the platen roller being projected under. the lower roller bearing the feed band. 1

These and other features of, invention are hereinafter more fully described with the aid: of

the'accompanying drawings, whereinz- -v j "Figl is a front elevationshowing the attachijment asapplied to atypewriting machine,

Fig. 2 is a side view of the'same,

Fig. 3 is anend view of theattachment' alone one, larger scale,j V I, 1

Fig.4 is a transverse section of the attachment also on a larger scale taken on the line 4-4 of Figurefi, v

.Figure 5 .is' a transversesection online 5-5 V of Figure'6 showing the rocker shaft and its; op-. erati've engagement with the adjustable support plate,

.FigL-G is a front view at est-tanner one, 40

: Fig. is a rear view of the same. a i Referring to these drawings which show the improved device constructed as an attachment adapted to be fitted detachably to "a. typewriting machine, it will'be seen that the device comprises askeleton framework composed of two end plates I, 2.connected together in parallel relationship by distance rods 3, i and 5 and providing bear ings for upperfand lower rollers '6 and! which an endless band 8of rubber or otherfsuitablematerial is engaged.

with the traversing carriage of a typewritingkmachine the end. p1atesl 2 are fork ed.- attheir lower e To permit the device to be detachably coupled chine. These latch members II are also formedwith snail cam faces l3 which when the latch" members are moved to the unlocking position bear forcibly upon the tops of the guide blocks l and thus serve to force the sheet feeding attachment upward and free it from its coupled r V i be understood that it may if preferred be mount-.

relation with the paper carriage. F v 1 Formed on or rigidly attachedto the lower roller 1 bearing the endless band is a toothed wheel I4 meshing permanently with anidle wheel l5 also mounted rotatably upon the frame of the attachment. when the attachment is coupled to the writing machine to mesh with a toothedfeedwheel l6 ohthe spindle, of the platen roller l1 thereby en'- lsuring'that the roller 7 bearing the endless band 8 is rotated positively with the platen cylinder and at the same peripheral velocity. V a

"Mounted immediately' behind the feed band 8 is, a substantially horizontal'sh'eet' supporting plate- [8 having a downturned lip l9 at'its front edge held'in proximity to the feed band at the 1 point where it travels on to the lower rolle'r'l;

plate ['8 on which the supply of' sheets, envel'opes, cards or the like rest by their lower edges is made adjustable towards and from the feed bandin order that the space between the lip I9 and the band 8 may be made adaptable to the hickness of the particular materials with which ti't 'is required to Work Adjustment. for 'this purposeis effected uniformly throughout the whole length of the plate by the operation of a rocking shaft' arranged beneath the support plate lain bearings in the ,e'ndfplat'es l,2',. said shaft having at intervals cams or eccentrics 2| engaging in" guide forks 22 depending from the underside of the support plate." l8. The plate [8 is held in position onjthe attachment in a. manner permitting, the aforesaid adjustments by large headed screws 23 which pass through slots 24 in the plate 18 and are secured in 'a distance rod 25'connecting the end plates l, 2. I l

"A" further shaft 26 pivoted 'i'nthe end plates l, 2 and urged in one direction by a concealed torsion spring carries at its ends ri'gidly'attached radial arms 2T b'earing'between them aspindle 28 on which is hung a follower plate 29 whose purpose is to press forwardly towards the feed band 8, the whole'su'pply of sheets carried in the magazine;

The distance rod 4 beneath the upper roller 6 of' the attachment bears at its ends rotatable snail earns 30 under the bearings of the upper roller 6, which bearings are arrangedto slide in V guideways in theend plates I, 2 'Thus by turn ihg'these' earns more or le'ss'in one direction the tension in the feed ban'dmay be regulated to any required degree; The operative faces'of these snail'cams 30 may benotched or ratchet toothed andmay'co-act with a detent upon each bearin'g bush for the purpose of preventing unintended displacement of theacams, after adjustment has been effected. V V

H In order to facilitate'and expedite operation of the sheet feeding attachment it is preferred to arrange for the actuation of the feedingattachment andtheplaten roller by the angular This idle wheel I5 is adapted movement of a hand lever 3| which is urged by spring means to arearwardly directed positionbut is adapted to be drawn forwardly and downwardly against the spring action to actuate the feeding attachment and the platen .roller. For this purpose-a pawl 32 pivoted on theleverl 31 is arranged t'o'erigage the teeth on the periphery of a drive wheel 33 which is rotatably mounted on the machine carriage and positively coupled to the platen roller by a movement multiplying gear wheel 35. Although in the example illustrated this drive mechanism is mounted upon the paper carriage and acts on the platen spindle it should ed uponand form a part of the sheet feeding atband 8is engaged. Furthermore the angular sweep ,or stroke of the hand lever 3| may be determined by stops, one or both of which may at each stroke to be varied.

Reverting to the support plate l8 it-should-be mentionedfltha t the lip 19 formed at itsforward edge is extended downwardly toward the platen rollertoiorma guide apron-36 for directing the sheets'as they descend to the point where they are engaged betweenthe platen 1ol1e'r and the rear feed rolls associated therewith; Furthermore in order to afford additional stability to'the support plate without adversely affecting its ability for adjustment, two transversely directed holding down'bars 37, are secured to its ends by screws and these'project forwardly and engage with the distance rod 5 forming part of the frame.

Between the lower part of the upwardly moving straight 'run'of' the feed band and the upper forward part of the platen roller there is arranged a rearwardly inclined deflector plate 38 whose purpose is to prevent the sheets on-emerging from thepaper carriagefrom catching under the lower roller 1 bearing the feed band, as they might otherwise be' apt to do owing to the curvature 1m partedto thesheet by'itspassage around the platen." 5 7' "The attachment when placed in position upon a typewriting machine may be loaded with a supply of sheets, envelopes or'cards according to requirements these being inserted between the feed band 8 and-the spring influenced follower plate 29. The sheets so held in the device may be fed one at a time to the paper carriage of the ma chine-as required by operation of the hand lever 3| provided for rotating-the platen.

-I claim I 1 1. -A sheet feeding attachment for typewriting machines" including a supporting frame, guide blocks attachable to the paper carriage-of the typewritingmachine, each'guide block having a vertical edge face and an opposed notched edge face, the supporting "frame having forked feet adapted to embrace the forward and rear edges of the guide blocks, and latch'niembrs pivoted onthe'forked feet and-having angular extremi,

1 ties'adaptedto'fit into the notches on the blocks.

2. A sheet feeding attachment for typewriting' be "adjustable to enable the extent ofmovrhent gage with the paper carriage of atypewriting machine, an endless band mounted on the frame, spaced rollers on the frame over which said band passes, means for rotating said rollerswith the platen roller of the typewriting machine, a supporting plate mounted in proximity to the rear face of the endless band, a follower plate disposed above the supporting plate and adapted to urge a package of sheets resting on the supporting plate toward the endless band, and means for adjusting the supporting plate toward or from the endless band including a shaft extending beneath the supporting plate and having eccentric portions, the shaft being manually rotatable, and .yokes carried by the supporting plate and engaging said eccentric portions of the shaft, the yokes being disposed adjacent the ends of the-supporting plate.

4. 'A sheet feeding attachment for typewriting machines comprising a skeleton frame adapted to be coupled to the paper carriage of the typewriting v machine, a rotatable feeding means carried by the frame and adapted to be rotated with the type,

writing machine platen, a support plate mounted in proximity to the feeding means and opposed thereto, means engaging the support plate substantially throughout its length and movable to adjust the support plate uniformly throughout its'whole length in relation to the feeding means, and a spring pressed follower plate adapted to urge toward the feeding means a pack of sheets held on the support plate. M I

5. A sheet feeding attachment for typewriting machines including a skeleton frame adapted to face of the endless posed above the supporting plate and adapted to be coupled to the paper carriage of the typewriting machine, a rotatable feeding meanscarried by the frame'and adapted to be rotated with the typewriting machine platen, a support plate mounted in proximity to the feeding means and opposed thereto, means extending parallel'to the I support plate and behind the same whereby to adjust the support plate uniformly throughout its whole length toward or from thefeeding means, said adjusting means engaging the support plate substantially throughout the length of the support plate and extending laterally beyond the frame, and a spring pressed follower plate disposed parallel to but, behind the feeding means and above the support plate and adapted tourge toward the feeding means, a pack of sheets" carried on the support plate. i

6. In a sheet feedingattachment for typewriting machines, a supporting frame adapted to engage with thepaper carriage of a typewriting machine, an endless band mounted on the frame, spaced rollers on the frame over which said band passes, means for rotating said rollers with the platen roller of the typewriting machine, a supporting plate mounted in proximity to the rear band, a follower plate disurge a package of sheets resting on the supporting plate toward the endless band, and means for adjusting the supporting plate toward or from the endless band including a shaft extending beneath-the supporting plate and having eccentric portions, the shaft beingmanually rotatable, and

yokes carried bythe supporting plate and 'engag-.

ing said eccentric portions of the shaft, the yokes eing disposed adjacent the ends of the supporting plate, the supporting supporting bar extending beneath the supporting plate and mounted upon said frame, and set screws extending through the slots of the plate and into said bar.

' 'LUIGI ARMANNI.

plate having slots, a 

